Posted Thursday, 12 January, 2017 by jorielov Genie Chronicles, Michelle Lowery Combs, Solomon's Bell, World Weaver Press 1 Comment
I must admit, I had such a wicked sweet time residing inside the world of Helene Wecker’s epic saga involving a Jinn and Golem, I was quite hopeful (long before now!) I might have been able to dig inside a few more since that fateful day I brought home her debut novel from my local library. The irony of course will not be lost on devout readers and bibliophiles alike who are now earnestly blogging their readerly lives (such as I am) when I state it took me until ‘now’ to find the proper time to give to another story of the Jinn – the very last year all of us are awaiting the sequel by Wecker! One thing I will say, it’s better late than never!
When it comes to world-building in a Young Adult novel, I am quite particular about what I’m seeking out (if my latest YA review can clue you in a bit) as I like to feel as if I’ve properly been transported ‘elsewhere’ to such a degree of certainty – the experience knits itself into your mind’s eye and extends itself into your permanent memories. Because stories which give us that curious stretch of imaginative blissitude allow us the smallest of joys to step into the threshold of someone elses shoes and live their life for a spell!
I find myself drawn more into epic sagas & layered world-buildings in Fantasy; I have recently (er, since I’ve been a book blogger) found I lean more towards Science Fiction or Sci-Fantasy releases but at the heart of what I love most are Magical Realism stories alongside a fairy-tale re-telling, a legend of lore or an Epic Fantasy that simply carts you off into the depth of a novel that is so wickedly long in length you might need a month or so to fully invest yourself into it’s folds. (herein I am hinting towards my soon-to-be shared readings of “A Turn of Light”; writ by a favourite Sci-Fi author of mine: Ms Czerneda)
My appreciation of genies truly goes back to the infamous television series – where an astronaut and a genie fall in love whilst trying to ‘fit & blend into contemporary life’ – to such great folly you cannot help but laugh along with the characters or feel their misery when things go terribly wrong! Since then, I try to turn my eye towards literature and root out stories of the Jinn (and nowadays golems) which have the depth of journey and an honest world built out of their legends where story-crafters entreat to take us.
Thus, when I heard there was a sequel to “Heir to the Lamp”, I knew it was time to put aside my readings of Ms Parrish’s delish anthologies and hold off on the murderous kitchen novella, to see how Ms Combs has chosen to alight us inside her world! I am featuring this ‘early preview’ ahead of my readings of the stories themselves as a precursor to the readings & reviews which are following lateron this month. I am also hoping to put together an author guest feature which I hope you all shall enjoy, too!
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Posted Thursday, 12 January, 2017 by jorielov in Ancient Civilisation, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Blogs I Regularly Read, Book Cover Reveal, Book Spotlight, Bookish Discussions, Doing Dewey, Equality In Literature, Folklore, Folklore and Mythology, Futuristic Fantasy, Indie Author, Magical Realism, Speculative Fiction, Travelling with T, World Weaver Press, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Tuesday, 8 November, 2016 by jorielov Cryptic Publications, Jake Urry, Richard Storry, The Cryptic Lines 1 Comment
Acquired Digital Audiobook by: I am a new blog tour hostess with Audiobookworm Promotions wherein I have the opportunity to receive audiobooks for review or adoption (reviews outside of organised blog tours) and host guest features on behalf of authors and narrators alike. The Cryptic Lines blog tour marks my first tour wherein I was quite happily surprised how much I am now keen on listening to books in lieu of reading them in print. My journey into audiobooks was prompted by a return of my chronic migraines wherein I want to offset my readings with listening to the audio versions.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “The Cryptic Lines” via the publicist at Audiobookworm Promotions (of whom was working directly with the narrator Jake Urry) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I love Suspense Thrillers and what drew my eye to listen to this particular one:
If I were to have a cosy comfort genre to read, it might not be as readily obvious as my readers might believe! You see, despite my regularly gushed about genres, there is a hidden passion lurking behind the stories I read most regularly! I am simply in love with Mysteries (of the Cosy variety) including the cousins of the genre with stronger or more darkening undertones of Suspense and Thriller! I grew up reading mysteries and watching the tv serials or motion pictures, too that fetched my eye for a thrilling adventure or a character who embodied what I love about the Mystery & Crime genre the most!
I immediately felt this particular story would be a lovely exception to the rule – of not finding out too much about the story ahead of listening too it and just ploughing straight in and seeing how you alight once the story has begun! I just sensed this had all the components I love to read, and thus, would love to listen too, now that I have turnt my eye on audiobooks!
When you read Suspenseful Thrillers – there is that moment where you feel a slight chill and a slight sense of ‘can I handle this’ murmuring through your mind. Even if your a Cosy girl like me who doesn’t go for True Crime or Hard-Boils, you still have that fringe thought of – what could be the secret everyone is trying to keep hushed? What is going to be the resolution now that all the threads of the story have taken you so far afield of centre it’s hard to know which way is truly the right way to follow next?
Truly what caught me is the classical set-up on the story itself – the layout of how it felt it might read and the manner in which the narrator chose to eclipse the characters in his narration! My first instincts proved to be right – I not only loved listening to this audiobook but I became an instant appreciator of the work Mr Urry and Mr Storry are doing to giving all of us a wicked good read!
The Cryptic Lines
Subtitle: an audiobook read by Jake Urry
Set in a sprawling Gothic mansion in a remote coastal location, somewhere in the British Isles, the elderly recluse Lord Alfred Willoughby is deciding what is to become of his vast fortune after his death. Whilst his head is telling him to leave nothing at all to his wastrel son, Matthew, his heart is speaking differently.
After much deliberation, in a last-ditch attempt to try and show to his son the importance of applying himself to a task and staying with it to the end, he devises a series of enigmatic puzzles cunningly concealed within the lines of a poem – the cryptic lines.
If he completes the task successfully and solves the puzzles he will inherit the entire estate; but if he fails he will receive nothing. However, from Lord Alfred’s Will it emerges that Matthew is not the only interested party. The mysterious old house holds many secrets, and nothing is as it first appears…
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781508488415
ASIN: B01D0E6ZK6
on 16th March, 2016
Length: 4 hours and 13 minutes (unabridged)
Published By: Cryptic Publications
About Richard Storry
Richard is the author of four published novels, with his fifth “A Looming of Vultures” due for publication in 2017. Prior to writing his first novel, “The Cryptic Lines” he was very busy in the theatrical world: He composed the incidental music to Chekhov’s Three Sisters, seen in London’s West End, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Eric Sykes, and subsequently broadcast on BBC4 television.
His musical adaptation of “The Brothers Lionheart” premiered at London’s Pleasance Theatre, followed by a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival where it was voted Best Childrens’ Play. “The Cryptic Lines” has now been adapted for both the stage and screen.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | SoundCloud | Secondary Site
On how this is very much about charles, too:
You would be lead to believe this story is actually about the living will and legacy of assets for a one Lord Willoughby, but truth be told, this is an everyman’s story centred on Charles. A man whose personal life has become a bit despairing of late (his girlfriend left him without explanation) and of whom, felt there might be a transitional shift in career needed to right his perspective. For Charles was nearing that moment where remaining in the status quo was far less appealing than contemplating something new, something wholly different than the career he had put forward til now. Read More
Posted Tuesday, 8 November, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, British Literature, Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, England, Gothic Literature, Indie Author, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Suspense, The Sixties
Posted Wednesday, 28 September, 2016 by jorielov (Illustrator) Anne Rosario, E. Chris Garrison, Restless Spirit: A Tipsy Fairy Tale, Seventh Star Press, Tipsy Fairy Tale trilogy 2 Comments
I am wicked happy to bring a lovely guest feature to my readers, celebrating a lovely Urban Fantasy series, I had become smitten with reading last year! It isn’t often I find a series that tickles my humour to such an accord of hilarity whilst grounded by a heap of heart and friendship at the same time! I love seeking out ‘lighter reads’ with a sophisticated edge of humour or satire that brings you such an uplift of joy to be reading, you simply do not want to part company any time soon with the book in your hands!
This is how I felt when I first picked up the first volume of the Tipsy Fairy Tales: Blue Spirit! I was overjoyed to find a wholly realised world inside that not only reminded me of the short story (by which I first met Skye with Minnie) but it drew me into this alterverse so warmly lit by it’s inhabitants it was hard not to smirk as you read the story! It wasn’t all aces though – there were some really wicked characters (here, this isn’t to refer to being ‘awesome’ but overtly dangerous!) up to absolute NO GOOD and then, there was Skye – centred on the action and trying to sort her way through it all!
She’s incredibly quirky, has her faults (who doesn’t?) but at the end of the day, it’s seriously good fiction which can bring you into an upturnt smile, a hearty laugh and a joyful reprieve in a world that is not altogether ‘unlike’ our world but is quite mysteriously bent towards the fantastical! I’ve been so wicked eager to read this new installment – to get my hands on the next Skye & Minnie adventure, as what happily drew my eye into this series is the depth that Ms Chris knits into her story’s heart. She puts a lot into the adventures of Skye than you first realise, and there is a lot more to Skye than what is presented. She’s a complicated girl and has a complicated past; I know there will be a riveting conclusion to this trilogy as she has a lot of growing left to do after this particular tale of her story concludes, but at the forefront is a girl whose willing to do whatever her friends need and be the heroine of her own story!
What’s not to love, right!?
I wanted to feature a guest post that highlights the quirkiness of Skye and the joy of conventions on behalf of the author; I’d love to attend more cons myself in the future, as I positively love reading about the Steampunk & SFF ones inasmuch as I know I want to hit the book world circuit of book fairs, fests and cons, as well! I know there will be BEA and Library convention out there I will one day attend! Til then, I get to live voraciously through those lovely spirits who tweet or instaphoto their lives for us to see ‘what it’s like ahead of being there’ ourselves!
On my connection to Ms Chris (aka E. Chris Garrison):
I first discovered the style of Ms Chris’s story-telling when we both appeared on the Star Chamber Show, which is a weekly podcast on BlogTalkRadio sponsored by the publisher Seventh Star Press. Since our first encounter with each other, we’ve developed a friendship I am blessed to have and I appreciate getting to know a bit more about an author whose not only developing a unique style in the world of Fantasy but is receptive to the thoughts readers have as they gain impression by reading the stories themselves.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Chris through our respective blogs, the twitterverse, the podcast world, and privately. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. For more information, I disclosed a bit more on my first 10 Bookish, Not Bookish Thoughts (read No.7!).
When Skye McLeod is asked by her pal Phil Jenson if she wants to cosplay at his game company’s booth during Big Con Weekend—and get paid for it—she jumps at the chance. Besides, Skye’s hit a rocky patch with her girlfriend Annabelle, who wants her to stop drinking and act more responsibly.
Then Skye gets a call from paranormal detective Rebecca Burton for another job; something big is going on at the convention, and she needs Skye to be her eyes and ears there. So now Skye’s getting paid to have fun—twice!
Then The Night Duke, a creep from Skye’s live role playing days, shows up and uses some weird mojo, seemingly turning pretend zombies into real ones. After barely escaping an attack, Skye learns the fairies and trolls within the magical realm are getting restless, and her old friend, the Transit King, is in the middle of it.
Skye decides to once again enlist the aid of her fairy companion “Minnie.” For Skye to enter the magic realm, she needs to get tipsy. Then she’ll just have to control the powers within her and contain the outside forces that threaten to spin into chaos. How can she possibly screw this up?
Guest Post Topic: Being an author who loves attending conventions, was this part of the impetus behind having Skye find herself in a heap of crazy woe whilst attending a convention herself? What was your favourite part of bringing your personal love of conventions into the story-line? Is the cover art reflecting the Cosplay aspect of the convention?
And if so, which character did Skye want to represent?
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Posted Wednesday, 28 September, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Original Illustration & Design, Bookish Discussions, Faeries & the Fey, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Gaming, Genre-bender, Indie Author, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Tomorrow Comes Media, Urban Fantasy
Posted Monday, 19 September, 2016 by jorielov Brenda Joyce Leahy, Rebelight Publishing Inc., The Art of Rebellion 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Chapter by Chapter, where I receive opportunities to host Author Guest Features on behalf of the Indie Publisher Month9Books and review for Indie Publisher: Rebelight Publishing of whom I love the stories by their Middle Grade & YA authors! As 2016 started, I received more opportunities to read and review Canadian authors through Chapter by Chapter. I love being able to discover more #CanLit whilst appreciating the beauty of the stories I am discovering through this touring company.
I received a complimentary copy of “The Art of Rebellion” direct from the publisher Rebelight Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
On the joy of reading a new Rebelight Author:
Hallo, dear hearts! For those of you following me via the twitterverse you will not be too surprised to find this as a ‘must read’ of mine! For those of you who have been with me throughout 2015 – you’ll recognise my admiration on behalf of the #CanLit publisher Rebelight of whom is turning out wicked sweet lovelies for both Middle Grade and Young Adult readers – as well as those of us as adults who appreciate discovering the same. However, which way you have alighted on my blog – you’ll be happily thrilled to hear this is a book I saw wink itself on Twitter and then had the alarming shock to think I had missed the blog tour! Yes, yes – you heard right! You see, of all the notices I received for this touring company, I have a particular eye out for Rebelight releases! I use to have a equal affection spilt between them and Month9 but my interests have shifted. Rebelight is continuing to find authors I love hearing about and whose stories are increasing my readerly curiosity to read!
The brilliant bit of course is when I was able to sort out via Twitter that a tour was upcoming and as you see, I was blessed to be placed on it! Even if all had been for naught, I would have read it – it’s the premise, dear hearts, that had me keen on its chapters. I have an aptitude of unquenchable thirst for Historicals – a fact I keep reminding myself about when I notice I read a higher volume of Historicals per annum than any other variety! Laughs with mirth.
Art has been my own passion since I was quite young and had a tutor in oil pastels. Over the years, I was not able to find a new tutor whom I could relate to or they to me, as everyone is a critic when it comes down to the specifics of what you want to create and the lessons you want to take to expand your portfolio. There is also the mainstay school of thought art is never learned but instinct and innate. I am sure my fellow writers could say the same about our trade too. Critics aside, I have noodled out the kind of art and mediums I want to pursue – I kept photography in my life due to the ease of self-teaching myself techniques and the immense amount of immediate inspiration awaiting me in the natural world. Nature is as self-renewing as bamboo! Ergo, your well of possibilities is never finite but unlimited. Honestly I could speak the same about my knitty endeavours which challenged me on another level of the artistic spectrum of interest. I digress.
When it comes to stories about artists and especially stories set in France – I am a delighted reader who simply wants to absorb herself into the fabric of the narrative and walks amongst the characters.
Notation on Cover Art: On a flat surface (such as a computer screen) I find certain art work on books become distorted by the flatness of the screen. This observation is not based on the Cover Art on this review but the first time I saw the Cover Art earlier in the Summer. As if the image is not reflecting the right message nor the right colors (as sometimes is the case). What I had missed initially is what I perceived as a colour palette mosaic is actually a collage of pertinent images – I had failed to see this until I held the book up in my hands. The young portrait is of course Gabrielle but she is overlayed on her artist sketchbook – whose pages are cut from different sources (including newsprint) to fill the journal. A true artist book, not limited to sketchings as ink and paint can be same quite plainly up close. The distinctiveness of the Eiffel Tower, either the calming presence of flowers or an ethereal veiled bride, a woman and man turnt away (Babette and Gaston) and above all of this looks like the artist’s pallette itself where paint and brushes interact to create the colours of choice before placed on canvas or journal page. A microscopism if you will at Gabrielle’s young soul. Personally, I would hope the man and woman turnt away from view might have been Phillip and Julie.
The Art of Rebellion
Art is Gabrielle's passion, but her parents have other plans for her future-marriage to a man three times her age who holds nothing but disdain for art. Gabrielle is determined to escape life as the baron's trophy wife and the confinement of traditional roles. She flees her privileged home in the French countryside for Paris and the grandmother who understands her passion. When she cannot locate her grandmother, Gabrielle is left on her own in the City of Lights. The art world of Paris, 1900, brims with excitement, opportunity, and risk. Should Gabrielle trust her new friends, or will they take advantage of her hopes and dreams?
Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ISBN: 9780994839985
on 15th June, 2016
Pages: 254
Published By: Rebelight Publishing, Inc. (@RebelightBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
Converse via: #TheArtOfRebellion, #YALit, #HistFict
About Brenda Joyce Leahy
Brenda Joyce Leahy has travelled to France five times but finds there’s always more explorations awaiting her. She loves historical fiction and thinks she was born a century too late but can’t imagine her life without computers or cell phones. So, perhaps, she arrived in the world at just the right moment to tell this story.
She grew up on a farm near Taber, Alberta but now lives with her family near the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Alberta. After over 20 years practising law, she has returned to her first love of writing fiction. She is a member of several writing organizations, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Brenda is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, and leads a YA/MG writers’ critique group in Calgary. The Art of Rebellion is her first Young Adult novel, published by Rebelight Publishing, spring 2016.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) | LibraryThing
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Monday, 19 September, 2016 by jorielov in 20th Century, Art, Art History, Belle Epoque Era, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Brothers and Sisters, Canadian Literature, Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Father-Daughter Relationships, France, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Romance Fiction, Siblings, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, Suspense, Upper YA Fiction, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Rights, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Wednesday, 14 September, 2016 by jorielov Alyson Peterson, Cedar Fort Inc, Ian Quicksilver, Ian Quicksilver series, Sweetwater Books, The Cursed Dagger 0 Comments
My connection to the author: Last year, I had a conversation with Ms Peterson whilst I was composing my thoughts on my review but it did not influence my reaction and/or change my honest opinion of the novel; something I disclosed at the top of my review for ‘Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior’s Return’. Since then, I’ve only touched based with the author off and on a few times in the interim, as we’re connected through Twitter. It’s always nice to keep in touch with an author you appreciate reading but also a renewed joy if you make a personal connection too. I am thankful my path crossed with Ms Peterson on the tour last year, and for the private conversations we’ve exchanged.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Peterson through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse as well as privately; I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. Similarly this applies to all future novels I read by an author I appreciate reading due to the compelling story-lines and characters they continuously bring to their novels and/or novellas.
On returning to the world of Quicksilver:
I must admit, my return to the world of Quicksilver did not quite go as I had anticipated as I personally found myself unable to finish reading the story once I reached Chapter 15 and a few pages forward when the ‘cursed dagger’ is revealled. There is an invisible boundary for all of us as readers – I happen to delve into most of what concerns me as a reader on my Review Policy whilst remaining open to stories as a reader who does consistently push herself out of her comfort zones to entertain new authors and new styles of the writer’s craft – where story-telling can become uniquely original and individual.
Having said that, for me, I have been a sensitive reader since I was a young girl – this hasn’t changed as I’ve transitioned into an adult reader. There will always be those stories that I have such an itch and thirst to read that are going to disappoint me – either by tone or by inclusion of elements that I personally consider outside the boundaries of where I want to be taken visually, metaphorically and fictionally. We all have those key triggers where sometimes literature is just taken too far for us to personally enjoy what is left behind for us to find. This sadly was the case for me when I read The Cursed Dagger, as outlined on my review.
I respect the author reaching out to me after I posted my review, including being open with me about what inspired Ian Quicksilver as a character and as a series for Young Adults, but even after knowing the back-story which is not disclosed in the books themselves, I cannot return where I left the book itself. You see, for me, it was physically nauseating to read those passages – I honestly was so struck by shock, that I physically reacted and emotionally I honestly felt crushed. These were characters I had loved in the first novel and were grieved by what was happening in the sequel. Visually, I simply did not have the stomach to see what was coming next because there is this particular moment where Ian is attacked and it is that that point where I had to turn away from the book! I was so shaken by that scene and everything else I had mentioned on my review, that for me, it was too much to process.
I approach Young Adult Lit from a unique perspective – I originally started to read Young Adult and Middle Grade novels to inspire stories for my nieces and nephews to read themselves. Somewhere in the pursuit of that goal, I ended up falling back in love with these beautifully lovely sections of literature myself. So much so, I fully recaptured my own bookish joy and readerly innocence that I had as an 10, 11, 12 and 13 year old. I love internalising a story written for children as an adult whose childhood is very much still a part of her heart and spirit. I love to see the stories I will one day be recommending for my own future children whilst picking up where I left off with my own readings as well.
The exit I am having with the Quicksilver series was something that blindsided me – it truly was a series I loved reading last year, but this year, I had to let it go. It will find flight to other readers who may not be as sensitive to certain inclusions of scenes and incidents as I am. That’s okay. We all like different stories from one another. We’d be very boring as readers to love all the stories that reach our hands, hearts and imaginations. There will be a piece of Ari and Ian that remain with me – I fondly remember what it was like to meet them originally and I have 14 chapters of the sequel where I was walking beside them, rallying behind them and hoping they would overcome their new adversities.
Prior to reaching Chapter 15, I composed this interview. I yielded to the author if she still wanted me to run it as part of the tour as I know authors react differently to different reviews, especially if a prior reader who cherished their book(s) had to discontinue reading successive editions. Ms Peterson accepted my honesty and the ruminations I’ve left behind to explain what happened in the midst of my readings whilst giving me this conversation to share with you. For those of you on the Quicksilver blog tour, I know you will especially enjoy it as she hints towards what is coming up next in books three and four! For those of you arriving outside of the tour, may this be a book you will enjoy as it’s now one of the books I’ve met that is seeking love from other readers!
One note: for me I felt this as a despotic world due to how heavy the darker lines were drawn around Puckerbush; for me this is what Dystopia would feel and look like where most of the light and hope of the world is blinked out of sight. There are a few streaks of it left, but for the most part it’s a harsher environment and the conditions of the towne just felt Dystopic to me.
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Posted Wednesday, 14 September, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Fantasy Fiction, Foster Care, Humour & Satire in Fiction / Non Fiction, Indie Author, Life Shift, Modern Day, Orphans & Guardians, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Science Fantasy, Small Towne USA, Supernatural Fiction, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction